21

Feb 2013

I’ve been on a major cauliflower kick recently. Maybe I’m weird but I love simply eating it raw dipped in a bit of white bean hummus or even some sweet chili sauce. It has such a great snappy texture and neutral flavor. It also makes some of the best soup. Every time I made cauliflower soup I declare it one of my favorites. The texture is thick, creamy and silky and it absorbs other flavors so well. It really is the perfect ingredient for making a “cream” soup without the cream.

You would never know that this soup has no cream. I did add some 2% milk at the end to thin it out but the recipe can easily be made dairy free by using soy or almond milk. The bacon fat adds a smoky richness that compliments the cauliflower perfectly. Garnishing the soup with more bacon adds that salty meaty flavor that really does make everything better.

In a large dutch oven, render the fat from the bacon over low heat. Once there's a good amount of fat in the pan, turn the heat up slightly and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove it to drain on paper towels. Discard all but approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Add the chopped onion, garlic and celery to the pan with a pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables for several minutes on medium-low heat. Once they're soft, add the cauliflower and turn up the heat to medium. Cook the vegetables for a few more minutes, stirring periodically, until the cauliflower has softened up. Add the chicken stock and thyme. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat. Allow the soup to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.

Remove the thyme stems and carefully ladle the soup into a blender. Puree until silky. Return the soup to the pot and add the milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat the reserved bacon briefly, dice finely and use it to garnish each bowl of soup.

Yum! I love cauliflower soup and yours looks so amazing!!! I never had it with bacon, I can only imagine how wonderful that must taste!

http://sugardishme.com Heather @ Sugar Dish Me

I’ve been on a cauliflower kick lately, too! I saw on the news the other day that cauliflower and broccoli were about to get expensive because of weird weather and I was like, “Nooooooooo!” Anyway- this soup needs to happen for lunch today. Oh yes it does.

I have some cauliflower at home that is now begging to be made into this soup!

http://www.cookincanuck.com Cookin’ Canuck

This looks so comforting and creamy. I love how cauliflower soup can take on such a rich texture without be laden with fat.

http://thatskinnychickcanbake.com Liz

Cauliflower with thyme and bacon…sounds just about perfect to me. Love your soup!!!

David Ellis

As soon as I saw the words creamy cauliflower bacon soup” in the subject column of my email I was hooked. I knew I’d have to make this. I’m on holiday right now, but as soon as we land back home I’m off to the market to get the stuff. Can’t wait.

http://www.notquitenigella.com Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

I make something really similar during winter and I think it was one of my most popular recipes! I think when it’s cold, the idea of a creamy but not fattening soup is very appealing :D

http://www.anecdotesandapples.com Monet

Not weird at all! I love cauliflower too…raw or cooked. And I’m sure it is especially delicious in this soup. Love the bacon! Thank you for sharing sweet friend. I’m nursing a bit of a cold, and this post warmed me right up. I hope you are having a happy end to your week!

Cauliflower is one of my faves too; it’s inexpensive, it’s super healthy, and it’s yummo!
This soup looks delish; I would never have guessed that there wasn’t any cream in it.

Kristen

This is the third cauliflower soup I’ve seen today… I take that as a sign that I NEED to make this, now! Looks so good.

http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com Angie@Angie’s Recipes

This is definitely my cup of soup! I need to make some too.

http://www.chocolateshavings.ca Chocolate Shavings

Cauliflower and bacon – how can you go wrong? The soups looks delicious and the photos are delightful !

fabiola@notjustbaked

Inappropriate short comment… yum. That is all:).

http://twitter.com/chowandchatter rebeccaSubbiah RD (@chowandchatter)

lovely soup and love your linguini :-) your blog is always wonderful

http://www.justasmidgen.com Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen

You always come up with the best recipes.. I love cauliflower and the thought of adding the smoky flavor of bacon is just fantastic! Well done!xx

http://www.piesandplots.net Laura Dembowski

This is right up my alley! I love cauliflower. Though I don’t eat it raw, I like to steam it for just a couple minutes to soften it slightly. This soup is perfect for this horrible cold weather. It looks so comforting.

This looks delicious! I love simple creamy veg soups in the winter, and the bit of bacon is perfect!

http://www.spiciefoodie.com/ Nancy/SpicieFoodie

Your south just made my mouth water. The combination sounds and looks amazing! Thanks for sharing Jennifer!

http://backroadjournal.wordpress.com Karen (Back Road Journal)

I love cream of cauliflower soup but the addition of the bacon topping must really give it extra flavor.

http://www.confessions-of-a-nomad.com Veronica May

Mmm this looks delicious! Great combo of the two, ill have to try this next chance I get!

Cara

Delicious! I made this for dinner tonight but made it, inadvertently, very decadent. The first change was pure laziness (left all the bacon grease in the pan) and the second was because I didn’t realize until the moment that the milk was needed that I’d forgotten to grab it at the store today- so I used half and half. Lovely! I may have ruined myself for your healthier version though…

I’m so happy to hear you liked it! There’s nothing wrong with a bit of decadence every now and then :)

http://hipfoodiemom.com Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom

Nothing says comfort to me more than a big bowl of delicious soup! I love cauliflower too! I throw cauliflower into my leek and potato soup and use it all the time in pasta and casseroles too. . I am definitely trying this recipe!! love this!

http://www.fabtasticeats.com Alaina @ Fabtastic Eats

I LOVE this soup! Definitely trying this soon! Cauliflower is one of my favorites…and with bacon..unstoppable!

Wendy N.

I made this soup tonight, my family loved it! It was delicious! Great recipe, thank you!